


Ace of Tides

by Cheyalinn_of_Tafth, Eldritch_Exile



Series: Eight of Crowns [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, F/M, Kings & Queens, M/M, Original Fiction, Original Universe, Queendom, Royalty, Women In Power
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 23:48:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16377368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheyalinn_of_Tafth/pseuds/Cheyalinn_of_Tafth, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eldritch_Exile/pseuds/Eldritch_Exile
Summary: In the queendom of Kasia, only women are in power. Now, Kasia’s eight esteemed houses need to choose their new liege, or face the consequences of losing their sovereignty to the other nations who dare conquer the land.Nabi, from the seaside House of Aren, is the sole prince among the candidates for the crown. He meets Sai, an arrogant servant of a princess-candidate, who seem to keep his share of secrets. Together, they must free themselves from the roles they have to play, and bring Kasia her freedom back.





	Ace of Tides

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, its Cheya and Raine here. This is the first time we'll be posting an original work here on ao3. And we'd like to hear so much from everyone! Thank you, and please, enjoy!

Dair burst into the library, the doors hitting the walls they, thankfully, still remained attached to. He ran up the stairs two steps at a time. Dair fell on his knees at the presence of his prince. Nabi abruptly stood from his desk. In his haste, a couple of books fell.

“Dair, what on ear--”

The knight tried to catch his breath, stumbling over fragmented sentences and half words. After a few minutes, the knight finally looked up at him.

“Prince Nabi, we’re under siege.”

Nabi bent over, picked up his books and placed them back on the table. He gestured for Dair to stand and when the knight obeyed, the prince crossed his arms over his chest.

“That’s not a very good joke.”

“But, my prince, ships of foreign origin have started to attack the bay about an hour ago.”

“Don’t we have vessels in patrol within five hundred kilometer radius from the shore?”

“We do, indeed, my prince.”

“Am I an heir or am I not?”

Dair quickly nodded his head, “Yes, Prince Nabi, first of his name. One of the royal heirs, a legitimate candidate to rule the queendom of Kasia.”

Nabi sat down and placed both of his feet on his desk. He smiled at Dair.

“Correct. A candidate. I don’t see why I should care at this point. You’re dismissed.”

Dair had no choice but to bow and exit the library.

Nabi sighed and looked outside the windows of the palace’s library. Sure enough, smoke started to rise up the sky, coming from the docks. Ever since the Queen had called upon her potential successors a little less than a month ago, Nabi had camped inside the palace library and unofficially claimed it as his own territory. Apparently, no one in their batch of heirs wants dusty old books more than he does.

He spent almost all of his days in the capital reading up on the city’s military background, its history, how its own hierarchy works. Dair should be one of the best knights, if not a captain-in-training, for him to be allowed direct interaction with an heir. He must be good.

The main doors of the library opened again. Nabi was ready to yell at Dair but stopped himself when he heard heels clink against marble. He just prepared for an earful nonsense.

“You don’t own these books, you know. Haven’t seen your name plastered in any of them, even the paper and the ink you’re using. You could be charged with all that and the library rent too, of course.”

“If that’s your version of an eviction notice, I don’t think I’d be willing to move an inch.”

“You’ve been given your own quarters, Nabi. The library is still owned by the Queen.”

“The Queen. Are you her? No. You’re only her daughter, Miyania. No one wants to utilize it except me, anyway. As if your knowledge is not that important, being a candidate to the throne and all.”

Miyania rolled her eyes at Nabi, “Stop being a child. The heirs are being summoned.”

Nabi rose to his feet in surprise, “What is this about?”

Not once did the queen summoned them all at once after their first assembly when they arrived in the capital. It was something Nabi looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. After all, a queendom is, and would always be, looking down on hopeful kings and princes in training.

“I’m sure they sent one of the knights here to tell you, weren’t you listening?” Miyania crossed her arms and looked at him with arched brows. “Our country’s under attack. My mother thinks this is a good opportunity as any.”

“Opportunity?”

“To educate the heirs,” Miyania replied. “We all do need to learn how to run this country.” She sighed. “It might really be bad, Nabi. She’s summoning her generals.”

Nabi wiped his face of any expression. “Then, let us go and see what we can learn.”

Miyania gave him a condescending smirk of ‘but are you up for it, bookworm?’ as she flipped her hair and walked out of the library. Nabi followed her. Both of them was silent, save for Miyania’s heels and Nabi’s boots. The soldiers that stood in the doorway straightened up. It was customary for a high-ranking individual to wear loud footwear around the palace, for they had to command attention and declare their power by mere footsteps alone.

 

* * *

 

There were eight royal houses, eight heirs. The other six were already in the war room when Miyania and Nabi arrived. Nabi watched impassively as Miyania swept into the room like she was already queen and everyone stood up to greet their princess.

“At ease,” Miyania said as she took her seat on the queen’s right hand. The rest of the people in the room followed her example and Nabi found his own seat right next to one of the other heirs.

He looked around the room. The heirs were all assembled but everyone still seemed ill at ease with each other. They were either ignoring one another or busying themselves with other matters.

The generals, at least those who were already present, seemed content to ignore them most likely because they have not yet proven themselves to anything. The older women looked serious, their expressions were one that promised horrible consequences to whoever defied them or the crown they had sworn their loyalty to.

Miyania had immediately struck a conversation with the general nearest to her seat.

“What is the real situation, general?” At her voice, she had captured the attention of the rest of the room although some were discrete enough not to show it, continuing with their own conversations and activities.

“Should we not wait for the queen, princess?”

“I am not asking for an entirely detailed report. I am simply asking for a clearer information than the one we have been given. Surely, you can provide something better than what the palace guards have given me?”

The general sighed and placed a hand over the table. “It is as you have probably heard, your highness. There are foreign ships close to our bay.”

“Foreign ships is a vague description,” Miyania said. “Are they warships? What nation are they from? Have we sent a contact to find out what they want from us?”

The general’s lips twitched although Nabi could not be sure whether it was from amusement or annoyance. “I thought you were not asking for a detailed report, your highness. We have reason to believe the ships are from the empire. They have not sent back word of their purpose although we have sent an emissary asking for it.”

“Is it true they attacked the bay?”

“I heard they attacked some ships of ours.”

The heirs were suddenly as curious as Miyania seemed to be just moments ago. Miyania folded her arms over her chest and leaned back on her chair letting the others ask the questions now. She sent a smug smile to Nabi and he was sure she had accomplished something in this. Perhaps, have made the others seem overeager or perhaps something else.

He has not quite gotten the hang of navigating the court politics of Kasia. Miyania, he is reminded, has been doing so since she was a child.

“Ooh! Ooh! Is anyone hurt?” One of the heirs asked, her dyed hair whipping about her as she tries to get closer and closer to Miyania. She looked about twelve years old with eyes too huge for her face and too innocent for her royal status.

No one answered her question. Miyania clicked her tongue thrice, “An heir asked a question. A very valid one. Why is nobody answering her?”

It was at that moment that the doors opened to admit the queen inside. They all stood as she came into the room to show their respect.

The queen looked at all their expectant faces. “Well then, I believe we have a problem to discuss?”

 

* * *

 

“We cannot win against the empire,” Miyania said in lieu of a greeting as she stepped into the library once again. Nabi sighed and shut the book he was reading, knowing that there was no chance he was getting back to it while the princess was looking for conversation.

Nabi grimaced. “Why?”

“What do you mean why? They have larger forces. They have a stronger military. They are more technologically advanced than we are. They have more lands and thus, more resources to draw from.” She gave him an irritated look. “Are you being stupid? Should I send for more tutors so you actually learn?”

Nabi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I was not asking about our problem with the empire. I was wondering why you picked me, of all people, to bother with this.”

“Well, you are my friend, are you not?”

Nabi shrugged. “I was told we, heirs, do not get to have friends.”

Miyania scoffed. “How ridiculous.” She smirked. “And true. Nevertheless, I need someone to listen and you are available.”

Nabi cocked a brow. “Available. Princess, might I remind you that I could have been doing anything when you barged in? Perhaps, I was not as available as you thought.”

“Right,” Miyania said in disbelief. “You know, with the way things are going, you are never going to get the crown.”

“Is that so?”

Miyania shrugged. “It is not as if you’ve done anything but lock yourself inside this library.”

“Perhaps, I’m planning something in here,” Nabi said. “You never know. We do have an extensive collection to learn from.”

“You forget that I’ve lived in this palace my whole life. I probably know this place and what it contains more than you do.”

“Anyway, you were saying,” Nabi said as he placed the book on a stack and waved his hand in her direction. “Something about the empire?”

“We cannot win against them. I have already said all the reasons why.”

“I thought we were negotiating first.”

Miyania crossed her arms and sighed. “I do not believe that it would work. They are insistent on their quest for expansion. They already believe that their nation is destined for greatness and to achieve it…” She closed her eyes. “I am worried that they would take advantage of our coming change in leadership.”

“Change of leadership?” Nabi’s low laughter rang around the library. “How is that possible when the queen’s own daughter is already claiming position? Not much of a change there, now, is it?”

“Do I see you stepping forward and claiming it? All I see is a bookworm eating papers all day long. Hate to break to you, Prince Nabi, but bookworms will never be caterpillars. They will never turn into butterflies and fly.”

“I am in no hopes to be a butterfly, thank you very much.”

Miyania smiled as if she knew something Nabi does not, “Maybe so, but you want to fly. An eagle learns that it is capable of flight after it has claimed the sky for its own. Your wings may forget that they were ever wings.”

Nabi looked at Miyania, his eyes turning into slits, but kept his silence.

Looking victorious, Miyania spun around and headed towards the door, “Stare at your family sigil for the time being, Prince Nabi. Might help.”

Nabi groaned once he heard the library’s double doors close. He took the thick history book from the bottom of the pile he kept on his desk for quick referencing.

He stared at the thick black leather-bound cover, the musky vanilla scent of time infiltrating his nostrils. Nabi traced the intricate markings of an eagle as dark as the ocean. This is his family’s sigil, and now, his sigil. He placed the book at the center of his desk. This book is all what it is and all that it would be, the entire history of his mother’s grandmothers, of the queens and princesses of old.

If chosen, he would be the first king in history. They would have to add more pages in that book. For the first time ever since he arrived at the capital, Nabi took his coat and his sword from beside his desk and headed towards the doors of the library, alone, not coaxed or chased. The door guards opened the white oak doors of twelve feet high.

The ocean-stained eagle proved not to be flightless.

 

* * *

 

The sound of metal hitting wood over and over again echoed in the empty courtyard. The practice yard was meant for the private use of the heirs and none of them were present at the moment. Nabi struck blow after blow on the wooden dummy. The sword felt both right and unfamiliar in his hand.

War was coming and Miyania was right. An eagle cannot remain caged if it was to take its prey. Nabi spun and cut the dummy’s head clean off. He wiped the sweat of his brow, panting and staring at the ruins of the dummy.

He was reaching down to take the dummy’s head off the ground when he heard a whistle and felt the presence behind him. Nabi spun and had his sword pointed at the newcomer’s throat in a moment.

It was not one of the heirs and a part of him was thankful for that. He might not need as much of an effort to smooth things over with someone of a lower rank. It was a young man, hair tied back with a leather band and hands that still held a bow raised in surrender.

“Careful with that, highness, you might just behead someone,” the young man’s eyes flicked to the dummy’s head on the sawdust floor. “Like the poor dummy. Damn, what did it ever do to you?”

“Are you lost?” Nabi asked, sword unwavering. “Only the heirs are allowed here and whoever they choose to allow.”

The young man smirked, cocky and fearless despite the blade pointed at his throat. He had placed his hands on his side, his hands relaxed on his bow. “I have permission.” That was all he said.

“Do you?” Nabi challenged. “From who?”

“See there, highness, I do not serve you or yours.” The other drawled. “I have no duty to give you an answer.”

Nabi arched a brow. “And if I am to call on the guards?”

“For what offense?”

“For your disrespect,” Nabi threw back. “For that matter, you still have not proven your right to be here.”

“Do it,” the young man said, daring him, eyes bright with mischief. “A warning, though. You risk insult on my house and lady. She will not take such a thing lightly especially from you.”

They were at a stalemate for a moment, each one staring and assessing the other. The stranger placed a finger on the tip of the blade and pushed it  away from himself. Nabi watched a bead of blood form on the man’s fingertip and slip down on a bright red line on his sword.

“Who are you?”

The man finally removed his finger from the tip of Nabi’s sword. Nabi continued to watch the young man, which could be about the same age as him, as he brought his injured finger to his mouth. His pink tongue darted out and licked the red lines before putting his finger inside his mouth, sucking the blood off it.

Nabi swallowed his own spit that pooled in his mouth unnoticed. The man in front of him wore nothing more than the robes easily accessed in the capital. His clothing looks clean, safe and guarded as any family crests or sigils are nowhere to be found. He could easily be someone who works at the palace, too.

“Are you done staring?” The man asked, his words swung him back to reality just like how he had swung at the wooden dummy only moments ago.

“Are you done disturbing me?” Nabi shot back. He did not know what else to say. Nabi expected the man to waver. Instead of acknowledging Nabi’s status as heir even just a bit, the man just raised a thick eyebrow at him.

“Are you done flinging that blade about? I would like to make use of the yard until my lady decides on a task for me.”

He could not be a worker in the palace. If he were, he would never dare throw questions like that nor he would ever look down on Nabi just how he was doing it the whole time.

“My lady?” Echoed Nabi. “You work for Miyania.” Considering everything, that would be the most right conclusion his brain could come up with. The young man slung his bow on his body and laughed, a full minute of low laughter. Nabi was appalled when the man actually wiped psuedo-tears afterwards.

“Miyania? Miya? That dragonish cow of a woman? Hells no. I’d rather burn.” Cue more laughter from the man. After he considerably recovered from the laughing fit he made Nabi unwillingly endure, the man shrugged. “Well, I would not be able to do much of my shooting practice if you’re just gonna stand there.”

The young man turned away from him and walked away. Nabi has been seeing a lot of backs lately, mostly Miyania’s. This one, though, has the complete set of back muscles Nabi used to study about with his anatomy books. The man suddenly stopped walking, most likely felt Nabi staring. “Be careful now,” the man spoke. Nabi was sure the man was smiling. “I may mistake you for today’s best hunt, eagle.”

“You still haven’t told me who you are.”

“Haven’t I?” The stranger looked over his shoulder with a smirk. The smirk turned into a wide, shit-eating grin. “Call me Sai.” He inclined his head and the term of respect came almost like an afterthought. “Your highness.”

“You’ve got quite the nerve.”

“And you, I’ve been told, don’t quite have enough of it.” Sai laughed and waved his hand in the air as he walked away again. “Good luck, highness. Try not to destroy anything else. People wouldn’t be pleased.”

 

* * *

 

Nabi found Miyania waiting for him in the library when he got back. The moment he walked through the doors, she gave him an arched look and her mouth twisted in both amusement and annoyance.

“Where were you?” She asked as she flipped through the pages of a book he was reading, a collection of the kingdom’s epic poetry.  “I don’t think I have ever found the library empty of your presence since you first came to the capital.”

Nabi just collapsed in a chair and glared at her. “I’m not in the mood for games, Miyania. Is there a reason why you’re here?”

Miyania snapped the book shut and placed it aside. “You’re angry. What happened?”

“Nothing,” Nabi drummed his fingers on the chair’s arm and stared at her. “Well?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I just thought I would give you a warning. Fair trade, I think, from all the times I’ve bothered you.”

“A warning?”

“The empire has sent a message,” Miyania said, brows furrowing as her eyes roamed the books that lined the shelf. “They have an offer.”

Nabi scoffed. “An offer? It sounds suspicious.”

Miyania snorted. “It sure does,” she grimaced. “But, some of the people, the nobles and some of the people in my mother’s council, think that we should accept it.”

“Why? What are they offering?”

“Military aid,” Miyania answered, hands clenched into fists before she laced it together on her lap. “Against our most bitter enemy. In exchange, our state becomes a protectorate of theirs. There are other things in the treaty they are offering, of course, but--”

“Military aid?” Nabi echoed, though he felt like a fool for doing so. “Miyaniya, this is a trap.”

“I’d rather be trapped than dead,” snapped Miyania.

“ _You’d_ rather, Miyania.” Nabi frowned, “What did your mother say?”

“‘You heirs should treat it as the first test’ was what she said, Nabi. I am not particularly happy with that as well.”

“And you think you can decide for the rest of the heirs?”

Miyania shook her head, “Of course not. I am not as greedy as you think, Nabi.” She looked away through the library windows, the last rays of the sunset caught in her eyes.

Nabi stared at the queen's daughter, “So what do you propose we do, princess?”  
  
“We talk to the rest of us heirs. All of us should have equal say.”  
  
“When do you want to do that?”  
  
“Right now.”  
  
Nabi got up from where he was sitting almost reluctantly. His arms ached, most likely because it has been ages ever since he practiced the sword.  
  
The walk from the library towards the mess hall is silent save for Miyania's heels hitting the marble floor and the metal of Nabi's sword sheath clanking against its belt. Low murmuring between the heirs sitting on an oblong oak table was the sight Miyania and Nabi first saw as they arrived. Miyania took the seat at the edge and Nabi occupied the remaining empty seat, which is between two other heirs.  
  
“How can we even sure this won't bite us on our asses?” asked one of the heirs. She has hip-length hair so brown it looked like a chocolate fountain under the lighting from the massive chandeliers of the hall.  
  
Miyania tapped her nails against the oak, “Why you say so, Princess Faylin?”  
  
“The empire itself has been a threat to this queendom for years. My country, Farelyntis, has experienced small-scale raids from the empire. It's neighbor, the Elyntis – I am sure Princess Luyen could also attest to this – has also seen these raids.”  
  
“Isn't that just what it is? Just raids?” asked a new voice from Nabi's left. It was Penelope of Dilia, her curls going about her as she spoke.  
  
Across Nabi, Princess Luyen raised her eyebrow. The Elyntisian princess is the tallest of all of the heirs. He adjusted her glasses up the bridge of her nose, “They may be 'just raids' right now, Princess Penelope, but there is no doubt that the empire can only afford raids.”  
  
“That may be right, your highness,” Nabi found himself speaking. “But I would rather risk an alliance with the Empire. These foreign attackers are on their way here as we speak. I'd rather have a queendom under the Empire than no queendom at all.”

“Allowing them to aid us in the war against Reino de Solaria will mean allowing their soldiers inside our borders,” Miyania said, looking at all of them. “We are giving them too much power they can use against us.”

“Power they are willing to share with us, is it not?” Princess Cecilia of Taryft said with a bubbly smile. Her dyed blonde hair was pulled into a braid today. “Why not take advantage of it?”

“And if they turn on us?”

“Your family has a close tie with the Empire of Amerland, does it not?” Princess Tory smiled and yet it felt like daggers had been thrown. “Perhaps, we may consider that your opinion is biased towards them.”

Cecilia scowled. “No one is truly objective anyway.”

“Adiella, what do you think?”

“Cecilia makes a good point. We cannot win against Solaria on our own and they have been intruding on our borders for decades. Amerland offers a better alternative and can we not simply prepare for the possibility that they would turn on us?”

“This is all well and good,” Tory said, her head cocked and a smirk on her face. “But all we have our words and in the end, the queen will still be the one to decide, yes?”

“Yes,” Miyania answered. “But, my mother wishes for us to give our proposals to her and her council by the end of the week. It is three days from the deadline Amerland had given for our decision.”

“Is this the first test then?” Penelope asked.

“You may consider it to be.”

 

* * *

 

Nabi rubbed at his eyes as he wrote. He consulted one of the open books on his desk and wrote another line for his notes on the proposal. He heard the door to the library open and looked up, expecting to see Miyania just like always only to be disappointed at the sight of the young man from the practice yard.

“Well, if it isn’t Prince Nabi,” Sai drawled as he walked forward. He placed his palms over Nabi’s desk and leaned over. “I see you’re hard at work.”

Nabi glared at the other man. “Can I help you?”

Sai shrugged like he didn’t have a care in the world. Nabi watched the man’s long fingers tap a rhythm on the dark wood of his desk. “I’m here for my princess. I doubt you’d be open to helping her win this contest.”

Nabi met the other man’s eyes. Sai had dark and intense eyes that made Nabi freeze. He kept their eyes locked on each other and said, “It would depend, would it not?”

“On which princess I serve?”

“On whether or not, it would be good for our country,” Nabi answered.

Sai laughed and broke the stare they had on each other. “Spoken like a true heir,” he said between laughs. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or if this is all an act.”

“An act? I have no time to do such things.”

Sai did not budge.

Nabi fought hard not to sigh, “You may excuse yourself.”

“Not quite. I have heard about your beloved House Aren, the ocean-loving eagles by the sea, with palace windows welcoming the sea breeze. Must have been nice. Growing with everything you may ever need in a society like ours.”

Nabi’s lips tugged upward, a little. “I take no blame in behalf of an unequal society, please. Be grateful that you have a princess to serve. Go along, and please her until she collapses from joy. I do not see why I should be involved with someone of your stature.”

Sai leaned closer until their noses lightly grazed the other, “Who says I please her like that, or see her in that way? Have you even thought about why I find you so fascinating? Have you ever thought about the possibility of you catching my eye exactly like that? To please you until you collapse, hmm?”

Sai licks his lips,  a few millimeters away from Nabi’s. “Just what exactly are you made of, Prince Nabi? Give me the thrills, alright?”

He whipped his whole body from Sai, as if being near him scalded Nabi. His footsteps sounded towards the library doors as he walked away, gasping and furiously gasping.

Sai smiled.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If it's not much, please leave us a little note below! Thank you!


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